I have been receiving an increasing number of questions lately regarding my form and how I “aim.” In addition it seems that there is a larger than normal influx of converts who are just starting out in traditional archery on this site lately. Therefore I thought I would put something together that will help explain the how and why of my shooting style.

Disclaimer: Traditional archery is an individual sport and no one method is right for everyone. Each individual’s physical makeup is different so it is important that you build a shot that complements your individual mechanics. I am not posting this, because I think that my method is the only or best way, so please feel free to post additional comments that may help others.

Consistency. As with any accuracy related activity consistency is the key. A friend in college once told me, “The tournament is won at the line (or stake in 3D) not at the target.” Over the years this statement has become ingrained in my mind to the point that I don’t judge an individual shot by the score it receives, but rather the quality of the shot. If your shot is fundamentally sound you will eventually reap the rewards of higher scores and more efficient kills. Rather than striving to shoot a 12 when you are slumping focus on shooting a good shot and the score will come on its own.

Too many times I have seen individuals shoot horrible shots that receive high scores and rather than being disappointed that they made a poor shot, they celebrate the high score subconsciously reinforcing the bad shot. While these individuals may occasionally shot a high score over time their consistency will suffer.

Theoretically you can take a high-powered rifle and shoot it from your hip and have a ½” group at 200yds, but it is not likely. Instead you brace yourself on a solid shooting bench that will aid you in ensuring that every moving part from your cheekbone, to your shoulder to your trigger finger are in exactly the same position for each shot.

The same applies with compound shooters. All of the devices that we continually harass them about are simply aids to assist with consistency.

Though we (traditional archers) have elected to toss all material devices that enhance consistency we still have the same ultimate goal in mind, to be as accurate and proficient as possible. Therefore we must utilize the mechanics that God has naturally given us to their fullest potential in order to increase our consistency.

Since I feel that consistency is the most importing aspect of any discipline of shooting, I continually break down each individual part of my shot to find elements that can improve consistency.

Anchor. The anchor is the most important individual aspect of my shot and is also the aspect that I see many traditional shooters struggle with the most. Any minor alteration at the rear of the arrow will be magnified downrange.

For illustration purposes, think of your arrow as a 50’ telephone pole. If you shift the rear a ¼” to the right the front end moves a foot to the left and vice versa. The further you project your arrow the more pronounced this minor adjustment becomes.

The same applies for short drawing or over drawing. Your “power stroke”, a fancy word for draw length, greatly affects the amount of energy transferred to your arrow. As with the telephone pole example above any minor adjustment greatly affects the outcome on the other end and this outcome is more pronounced the greater the distance the arrow travels.

Therefore I have a four-step anchor. Those who have seen me shoot know that I hold at full draw for a long period of time and while this is partly the case part of it is due to the multiple steps involved. While the following steps may seem to be overkill and somewhat complex, they have become automatic over time.

Also please note that everyone has different facial and hand features so everyone’s anchor is different.

1.) The first thing I do is to anchor my middle finger in the corner of my mouth. Many shooters stop here, but since the corner of your mouth is easily stretched and manipulated I don’t feel that in and of itself that is a solid anchor.
2.) Secondly I place my hand firmly against my cheek and anchor my thumb behind the point of my jaw. Some may consider this two individual steps, but I can’t have one without the other.
3.) At this point I lock in my back tension so that my shoulder is no longer bearing the weight of the bow. This is my version of let off, since I can hold my bow at full draw with little effort once the load has been transferred to my back.
4.) The final step is the major reason I shoot three under. See link for rational http://discussions.texasbowhunter.co...ead.php?t=5870 In this step I touch the nock to the corner of my nose. Notice I said that I touch the nock to the corner of my nose, not I touch the corner of my nose to the nock. Once your head is set, always bring your equipment to you never your head to your equipment (note: taken from pro shotgun shooters).

Once all four steps are locked in I like to hold for a few seconds in order to allow my subconscious to make all the calculations and adjustments necessary prior to transitioning to my release.

When I am able to complete all four steps of my anchor and have a smooth release I hit my spot. Like everyone else, much of the time everything doesn’t go as I would like and I am a little off at one step or another. However since I have a multiple step process my anchor is generally more solid than the average shooter even when I don’t complete all four steps.

Bow Arm. Your bow arm is rather simplistic, the more solid, rigid and stable you can make it the better you will be. In order to achieve this I shoot what I refer to as “bone-on-bone.”

When setting up for the shot, I drop my arm into the shoulder socket and raise my arm with it in the socket so that when the bow is pushing back the energy is supported by my shoulder joint rather than my shoulder muscles which are subject to fatigue.

To simplify, look at your shoulder with your bow arm pointing at the target. Is it flat or rounded or is there a small depression (cup) that could hold water? If you have a cup, your arm is locked in the socket.

Next you need to ensure that your bow arm and shoulders form a straight line. Ideally you want to be able to set a broomstick from your wrist up your arm to the apposing shoulder.

If you hunch over it likely that you are out of alignment somewhere and your form will suffer due to fatigue on long days. Some respond that they only need to make one shot so fatigue isn’t a factor, but what if that one shot is after hiking at altitude or after being up 36 hours straight, or driving all night to get to the lease?

Though it will sound counterintuitive, in addition to all of the above I attempt to push my bow arm through my intended target. In order to do this I set my shoulder and my alignment prior to beginning my draw. Once I begin my draw I push through the target. This will keep you from collapsing or shooting too strong of a shot (flaring outward like some compound shooters do for style points).

Keep in mind that the results of an unstable bow arm are the same as an inconsistent release.

Grip. In my opinion the style of grip, high wrist vs. standard vs. low wrist, is a personal preference item. I recommend finding a grip that is comfortable and will allow you to push to the target without torqueing (sp?) the riser. I like a grip that allows my hand to naturally slide into position so that when I am sweating or in the rain my grip remains consistent.

I set my hand position prior to initiating my shot sequence. I slide my hand into position then pivot my forearm so that the meaty part is clear of the string.

Once I begin drawing the bow my hand is limp. The pressure distribution causes only my thumb and pointer finger to wrap around the riser. My hand remains relatively limp throughout the shot. This allows the bow to jump upon release and reduces the opportunity to torque the riser.

Release. I like to think of the release in the same manner as I do squeezing the trigger on a rifle. It should be a smooth fluid motion with just enough control that the shot doesn’t come as a complete surprise, but not so much control that the shot is deliberate. For me the optimal release is the one that occurs once everything has been locked in for a few seconds and occurs effortlessly.

Personally I feel that upon release your back tension should cause your hand to slide rearward and slightly downward. For me that means that my hand slides back and down until my index finger is at the base of my ear.

I am not a fan of a “dead release.” Though it works for some individuals, I have yet to see an Olympic archer with a dead release.

Canting vs. Straight up. I believe that it is easier to be consistent if you shoot straight up rather than canting. It is too easy to cant a little more or less based on individual situations. If you are on the third day of an elk hunt or you have been sitting in a tree stand for three hours in twenty-degree weather you will likely be stiffer and apt to cant less then you did when you where practicing all summer in eighty-degree weather.

Another thing to consider if you ever shoot from an elevated position or in hilly terrain, if your arrow is not in the exact center of your string, which it will more than likely not be when you take into account shaft size, finger placement, and tiller; your point of impact will change left/right based on angle and distance. This effect becomes more exaggerated the further from the center of your string your arrow sits combined with the severity of your cant.

I have often herd individuals say that they cant to open up the sight window so that they can see more of the target. Personally when I am at full draw I am so focused on my spot that I don’t see a wide enough area to consciously see my riser.

Aiming. I imagine several of you skipped to this section. Aiming is a personal preference item and in reality no one other than you will actually know the method you are using. Personally I could care less. The object is to be proficient at hitting your intended target so experiment a little to determine what works best for you.

In simplest terms, I am purely instinctive out to around 40yds and shoot off of my tip at greater distances. In other words for close shots I simply pick a spot and concentrate all of my focus on that spot. For longer shots, I know where to place the tip of my arrow in relation to where I want to hit.

I am left eye dominant and shoot right handed; add to that a 51yd point on and the result is way to much thinking for me to gap shoot on a regular basis. Basically in order to hit my spot at 20yds the tip of my arrow is about a foot to the right and three feet below my target. Therefore it is much easier just to look at the spot I want to hit and let my subconscious do the work.

When shooting under 40yds I do not consciously adjust anything, I let my subconscious do all of the work. I personally feel that it is a mistake for new shooters to consciously look above or below their spot based on the distance to the target. I believe that you are much better off letting your subconscious make all of the adjustments.

I very rarely shoot beyond 40yds (target or otherwise) so I do not trust my muscle memory and do not get enough practice at these yardages to train my subconscious to know what the sight picture should look like so I gap shoot. At 40yds my tip needs to be about a foot and a half under and two and a half feet to the right of my intended target. At 51yds my tip needs to be level and three feet to the right, and at 60yds my tip needs to be three and a half feet to the right and two feet above my intended target. If you are right eye dominant and right handed you shouldn’t have t compensate for the windage issues that I deal with.

It is also worth noting that I shoot instinctive with both eyes open and gap shoot with my left eye closed.

I am sure I have you thoroughly confused on how I aim at this point. So don’t get too caught up in the details.

Know Your Shot. I have been asked on several occasions what separates the shooters who consistently shoot high scores from everyone else. Personal I believe that the more advanced shooters know and understand their shot. They know what their ideal shot looks and feels like and when an arrow doesn’t hit its intended mark they can tell you exactly what went array. Until you know and personalize your shot you have no way of knowing what you need to work on.

Once you know your shot, you can step up to the target and visualize the shot before it even happens. If you can’t see yourself doing it in your mind there is little chance you will be able to translate a given situation to a good shot.

Practice. There are far too many moving parts in a shot to work on every aspect at one time so break it down. For beginners and those who hit roadblocks I strongly recommend doing drills that allow you to break down your shot. For the more advanced shooter, work on perfecting a different aspect of your shot each time you shoot rather than just flinging arrows.

At this point I practice very little. If I am getting ready for a hunt or a big shoot I may shoot 30-40 arrows (6-10 per day) the week prior, but I don’t generally practice for the sake of practicing. I prefer quality over quantity and I always end on a good shot.

Obviously starting out you will need to put in much more practice time.

Thanks Chris! Great stuff. I'm lost on most of it, but I found some golden nuggets of wisdom. I really cant my bow alot and feel awkward/clumsy with it straight. I guess I'm destined for mediocrity. =)

Some great input Chris...ya still ought to go for World Campionship I think
If any of you guys get a chance to shoot with him pay attention...HE DOES THE SAME THING EVERY TIME, I noticed and compared him to Mike Frizzel and Mike was the same way. What I mean by everytime is number 1...study your target,dont rush yourself if others are pushing up on you or you feel pressured let them shoot by. mike had a ritual...from adjusting his waist to adjusting his glasses...EVERY time,

When I started him shooting I never realized he was left eye dominate. My bad.

You would not believe how many people to this day try to get him to switch to shooting left handed as it will improve his shooting. I think he has learned to over come it.

I also believe one thing that really helps his shooting especailly, since he has to compensate for being cross eyed, is that he only shoots ONE bow. He shoots that bow untill it is about worn out. When he does buy a new bow it takes a while for him to get used to it.

HIS QUOTE "Your “buddies” spent much of the day today encouraging me to invest in a longbow and a selfbow. However as I have said before, I still have a lot of room to improve to get to the level I would like with my recurve before I consider stepping up to a longbow, much less a selfbow. Heck, I still find woods frustrating to shoot."

This drive for perfectionism would have given me ulcers by now. Heck at times just being around HIS drive for perfection has about given me ulcers.

While I agree with all of his methods I can't come close. Target Panic has really made me feel like a mental midget at times.........

Chris, this is one of the best descriptions of shooting I have ever read. It is also the most lengthy piece of writing of yours that I have read in a long while. Knowing how you struggled in your early years at school I think you have over come another hurdle harder than shooting. Take care. Dad.

Thanks Chris, I do not hold at full draw more than a split second, this is because I am left eye dominate and the longer I hold at full draw the more cross eyed I get. I also cannot close left eye while shooting so I still aim with my left eye but shoot right handed. I have a quick release really to fast and I can not get out of it. When I close my left eye I get sorta dizzy and after a while get head achs.
I only shoot only two fingers, one over and one under. What ever you do DO NOT listen to me because I can not shoot nowheres even close to Chris so my post is POINTLESS.
Just showing differant forms

Extremely well written Chris! I would one day like to shoot with you and learn from watching as I am sure many of us on here would! I appreciate your taking time to do such an in depth write-up and also divulging so many of your methods. It makes me proud to see each and every one of us so willing to share and teach others. We all learn something new every day we shoot.

If you want to watch him shoot, watch any good compound shooter, it is pretty much the same.

A thing i have learned from watching just about every shooting video out there is one thing is always the same, no matter how you shoot you have to do the same thing from shot to shot. consistency is key!!!!! You can do the wrong thing but if you do the same thing wrong every time your brain will compensate and you can get better.

I know the only thing that separates the really good shooters from the ok one's are how they approach the target, the mental game. Most of the really good shooters always seem tense, serious and focused on the course. when Chris is shooting his best he is not joking he is serious. That is the way you have to go into a tournament, serious, focused.

Thats why we have the chunky & buff handicap anyone with them can't shoot straight because the have tears running down your face from the laughing. They don't lend to great scores but they are fun to be around!!!!!

I couldn't be any better if I was serious, so I might as well have as much fun as I can. I don't make anyone shoot with me, but I sure am not going to change either.

I really do love shooting with Chris, even though I give him non stop grief, I really like the guy. In fact, I really like shooting with all the guys on here. I can not think of one trad guy that is not a pleasure to be around. Sorry bout your scores....I do get a little more serious when I am in a stand.

i didn't mean that in a bad way chunky, i am not good enought to win top 3 so i don't worry about how well i winning, i ask to shoot with you'll evertime i see you. but as a general rule i shoot alittle better when i am worried about score and not trying to get the funny story out of my head

Good write up. I found with the left-eye dominant problem, I close my left eye as I draw (I've already estimate the distance to the target with both eyes), and anchor 3-under with the nock rigth under my nose- right nostril. There's a bone behind there (the root from a front tooth?) that my finger pushes against on my face. That puts my right eye directly above the arrow, for aiming left/right. A higher anchor will also lower your 'point on' for gap shooting. I shoot off the shelf, and it's 30 yards. I cheated (gasp) and put an orange dot on my riser for my 'point on' at 20 yards.

Give it a try. I'm in awe of guys who just pull it back and let the arrows fly instinctively, one guy in my club's been shooting forever, and Mike releases the arrow about 3 inches before his hand gets to his face- and he can group 'em like a champion at 20 and 30 yards. 30+ years of shooting will do that for you.

I didn't take it the wrong way, in fact I like that you mentioned me. I have skin as thick as an alligator, and I doubt you could upset me if you tried. I am all about joking around and cutting up....that was your point.

You are right though, most people have to focus hard and concentrate to do their very best. I have the ability to focus really quickly and to do several things at the same time. Perhaps it comes from the air traffic control thing. I may have a little advantage at that...it helps in golf as well.

While I'm nowhere in your class, I think the key to success is consistency. While either shooting bows, rifles, or golf, I try and use the same routine EVERYTIME. As you stated, one thing is out of norm and the shot will be off.

This is by far one of the most informative post ever, except for a few of the Aggie grammar mistakes!

Awesome information. Joey thought this would be a great thread to sticky in the Traditional forum for beginers. Agreed!

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This is great info. I am new to trad and love it, been lurking in the bushes trying to learn. Started shooting about a year ago. The "AIMING" part answered my question. It told me that I am left eye dominant shooting rt handed. I was wondering why I had to have the point below the flank to hit the vitals at 20 yrds and my arrow point is always to the right and below my target.
This is a good writing, thank you.

Chris;
I got the consistency part. Then I fell asleep. Form and repetition are key. I'll have to read the whole thing sometime. Most of use know that but the "mechanical" aspect of shooting very well, as you do, is the tough part.

Focus is really good but what I found when I played golf was that you didn't think of the swing or how hard you were hitting the ball. You focused on one point and performed, consistently, the same swing as each time before. Traditional is just like that... sad part is, I have really lacked the consistency recently...

Chris, Do you have any suggestions for some of us old timers that get stuck and there is no-one around to watch and see what has changed? Here in the last week or so I have changed something and cannot figure it out. Everything is hitting left. Sight picture looks the same and my anchor seems to be solid, Finger in corner of mouth, thumb is behind my ear, nock is touching my noise,and eye brow is making contact with serving.

If you have the ability to video yourself shooting and post it, that would be a possible option. Several others have done that here in the past and it seems to work fairly well.

Based on the information you provided, following are a few suggestions to start with. I am assuming you are right handed and have not changed bows or your arrow combination.

1. Check your equipment, brace height, nock height, shelving material (or rest).
2. Make sure your bow arm is solid and your chest is expanded. You may be anchoring properly on your face, but short drawing (causing your arrows to shoot stiff/left) by collapsing your chest or allowing your bow shoulder to rise.
3. Focus on a solid follow-through. Make sure that your bow arm is physically pushing through the spot after the shot and that your release hand is sliding straight back.
4. Visualize. I used to think this was a bit corny, but over the years have become a believer in its effectiveness. When I start having issues and am unable to determine the source I will take some time off and visualize myself shooting perfect shots. After several days of this I will go out and force myself shoot the shot that I have been visualizing.

Thanks, had one of the guys in the archery shop watch (no video) short draw was the problem. Has been shooting 4 to 5 times a week then due to work had not shot much. Could fill the differance once it was pointed out. Sometimes it just takes another set of eyes. See you at one of the up coming shoots.

Question from a 72 yo newbie with arthritis in the bow shoulder. I addressed this to TRadAg02 because of his excellent series for beginners. I tend to let the arrow go early (which means I tend to miss the target)! When I consciously hold the string back to correct this problem, the arthritic bow shoulder hurts and encourages me to let the arrow go quickly and I am back to the problem. I can work through the pain to some degree, but does anyone out there have any suggestions as to how to modify my position to make it easier to hold that string back? Thanks

I am afraid I don’t have a solution for this question. Fortunately I have yet to encounter arthritis, though I am sure it will come. If you don’t get the response you are looking for here, try posting a new thread with you question. I am sure that several on this forum have encountered the same issue and may have suggestions.

this is an excellent write up. one thing that i noticed is the fact that no one mentions breathing... being a long range rifle shooter breathing is just as important as the shot... calm breathing helps you remain calm and focus on your shot. when i draw my bow i take a deep breath, anchor, exhale and at the point were my lungs are completely empty my mind looses the arrow (or squeezes the trigger if im rifle shooting) when i first started shooting a bow i had target panic something kinda fierce, i told myself, i said "self, its just like squeezing the trigger, you just gotta let it happen" in a matter of a few weeks i started grouping arrows rather then just hitting the target, no matter what bow i pick up i repeat the same process every single time. i realize sometimes you have to hold full draw for more then 3-4 seconds (you know when im talkin bout, mr. backstrap is lookin straight at ya) dont let your breathing become labored (quick shallow breaths)

although i am a noob when it comes to archery period i honestly feel that this has helped me become a better shooter. 1 other tip i can give that has helped me w/ my form is shoot w/ the sun to your back, i can look at my shadow on the ground and instantly be able to tell if something is wrong w/ my form, i correct, recheck and if everything is how it is supposed to be then i aim and loose.

After watching Devin shoot his recurve last weekend (and flinging a few myself), I got the bug to start shooting my old 21st Century Edge (longow) again. Although I had to use my compound carbons this evening, I shot a few times at about 12 yards this afternoon. This was a great read. I'm looking forward to learning to shoot, again.

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texscot, in response to your post about taking some pressure off the shoulder, I have a few things to offer: use 1. More back tension & less arm strength to hold at full draw. If you tense your backstrap muscles at full draw, it takes pressure off the arms and shoulders. 2. Reduce poundage. It's hard for us older guys to accept, but most of us would shoot better, less painfully & ultimately longer with lighter bows. It won't matter hunting-wise very much, if at all. Hope this helps.

What exactly does--To simplify, look at your shoulder with your bow arm pointing at the target. Is it flat or rounded or is there a small depression (cup) that could hold water? If you have a cup, your arm is locked in the socket.--mean? I'm having trouble visualizing .....

What exactly does--To simplify, look at your shoulder with your bow arm pointing at the target. Is it flat or rounded or is there a small depression (cup) that could hold water? If you have a cup, your arm is locked in the socket.--mean? I'm having trouble visualizing .....

Think about a bodybuilder when they pose/flex. They drop their shoulders into position causing a depression in their shoulder.

The opposite of this would be allowing your shoulder to crepe upwards toward your ear as your muscles fatigue.